Captain Louise Pole flies through aviation glass ceiling

For the first time in the 80-year history of the Australian Federation of Air Pilots, a woman has been elected as president.

Captain Louise Pole at Brisbane Airport. Picture: Glenn Hunt

For the first time in the 80-year history of the Australian Federation of Air Pilots, a woman has been elected to lead the organisation of more than 4700 aviators.

Captain Louise Pole’s appointment as AFAP president is ­believed to be only the second time a woman has headed a professional pilots’ organisation anywhere in the world, following Germany. It comes as airlines move to address the gender ­imbalance in the cockpit, with women representing a mere 6 per cent of the world’s airline pilots.

At QantasLink where Captain Pole flies a Dash 8 Q400 jet, the figure is about 14 per cent, and ­despite the increase in women ­pilots, public attitudes continue to surprise her.

“At least once a week, I will get someone remarking on the fact a woman is flying the aeroplane,” she said.

“I’ve even had the comment of ‘if I’d known it was a woman flying the plane I would never have got on’, and that’s at the end of the flight so obviously I’ve proven we can get there OK but people still thought to say that.”

Captain Pole was hopeful her new role would help increase the acceptance of female pilots, at a time when the world was facing a severe shortage.

“We need more women in the industry, certainly, and companies are now starting to look towards increasing ­employment of female pilots,” she said.

“I think it will eventually ­become the norm for the pilot to be either male or female.”

The main resistance to female pilots was within certain pockets of general aviation, and in the minds of young women themselves, Captain Pole said.

“I’ve said to young girls, ‘Do you think you might want to be a pilot?’ and they say ‘Oh no, women can’t be pilots’ even though I might be dressed in my uniform and looking at them,” she said.

“So I think it’s most definitely important that we are visible so younger girls can see that there’s potential for them.”

Qantas and Virgin Australia have now set gender targets for their pilot recruitment schemes in a significant turnaround from what Captain Pole experienced when she first started flying as a 16-year-old in 1985.

“There were many places in Australia that didn’t employ ­female pilots and they outwardly told you that,” she said.

“Obviously legislation has changed since then so they’re a bit more subtle in their ways, but there are still some areas where women find it difficult to obtain employment, although I’m pleased to say that it is changing.”

AFAP executive director Simon Lutton said Captain Pole would play a crucial role in the growth of the federation.